Login

Current User Info

· Lurkers Lurking: 5

· Rebels Active: 0

· Total Rebels: 959· Newest Rebel: CaptKaraFreen

Login Help

If you are having problems logging in, please bear in mind that if you originally registered at the site before 8th January 2014 and you haven't re-registered since that date your old login details will no longer work. If this is the case, please re-register, preferably with your former username. If you are having trouble with the registration process itself, try looking HERE and HERE for help and advice. If you need further assistance, please do CONTACT us.

Newest Articles

B7 Images

+ Cookies +

The Horizon website uses cookies to allow user log-in and navigation. The site does not host advertising that requires the use of third-party cookies. Registering as a member of this site implies your consent to the use of cookies.

Oh no! Orac wants to know - where's your JavaScript?!Your Web browser does not have JavaScript enabled or does not support JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript on your Web browser to properly view this Web site, or upgrade to a Web browser that does support JavaScript; Firefox, Safari, Opera, Chrome or a version of Internet Explorer newer then version 6.

@deadkenny: I don't think you need worry about a reboot of Blake's 7 as many of us decades-long fans have had our hopes dashed more than once about a proposed new series, and many of my Blake's 7 friends concur that there will be no reboot whatever the powers that be say. And you are correct about trying to cater to two cultures (UK-US) and failing. If Blake's 7 is to work, it needs to be made in Britain, with British writers, studios and actors. Anything else would end up a sort of hybrid like the Doctor Who film ended up being. I mean really, Erik Roberts as the Master? Really? I suppose we should be grateful that an all British team came to the Doctor's rescue and rebooted it properly.

And why do we even need a reboot anyway? I think we have all we can ask for in the Big Finish audios. We have knowledgeable production teams, caring writers who admit to being fans of the series, and our original actors- the most important facet of the whole production for me. I just hope newer fans realize this is the Golden Age for Blake's 7 and enjoy it while it lasts- I certainly am enjoying the ride!

@deadkenny - Welcome to Horizon! I've made the link in your post clickable, although having looked at the artwork perhaps it would be kinder if I hadn't... What a hideous, nightmare travesty of a unique and beautiful ship.

Twitter: @TravisinaB7
Tumblr: tumblrThere's no point being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes

Just.. ugh. It looks like it wasn't so much built as congealed. Actually, it reminds me of something that Games Workshop would knock up for the Space Orks. If this is the Liberator for the proposed reboot,

If I was going to re-do the Liberator, I'd want it to be swan-like and graceful. Oh, and white!

“Like all Vogon ships, it looked as if it had been not so much designed, as congealed. The unpleasant yellow lumps and edifices which protruded from it at unsightly angles would have disfigured the looks of most ships, but in this case, that was sadly impossible. Uglier things have been spotted in the skies, but not by reliable witnesses.”

Apparently someone associated with the production team has replied in the comments, thus showing he hasn't got a clue what he's doing:

"Matt, thanks for your thoughts. I thought I’d drop you a line back here for the benefit of the many as much as the one, or few.. That notion of the Liberator being the superyacht to the Federation’s rubber dinghys [sp.?] has not been lost, nor is Blake’s ‘story’ being changed. Some minor details arent as cogent today as they were then, but we’re not reinventing the wheel here. We’re building a bigger universe within which it sits however. Re the Liberator, you may think it ungainly but compared to the spaceships of our near future it is still a near-fantastical machine. You haven’t even seen what it can do yet…. Believe me, it’s still unbeatable, unchaseable, unmatchable… The original story, whilst iconic, was simply lacking in a huge amount of detail, such detail being critical to any kind of transmedia strategy for a property in this day and age. Don’t worry, we are trying to be respectful to Mr Nation’s body of work in its entirety whilst bringing the franchise bang up to date for an unforgiving, exacting audience. Hope that helps put this set of brilliant artwork into context for you, and gives you hope enough to stay tuned for more news as the saga develops. Without fans like your good self, we would not have the bravery to continue whilst those around us lose their heads.."

If I was going to re-do the Liberator, I'd want it to be swan-like and graceful. Oh, and white!

Yep, definitely. I think they were going for a Giger-esque vibe there, and it all went dog-doo shaped. If they wanted to do that, there are plenty of other ideas out there. I'm thinking of the graceful alien designs of the Minbari ships from Babylon 5. There was a rather good one on Deviantart that has the idea I'm thinking of...

I have given up hope.
It seems these new creators have forgotten that most of the grittiness of Blake's7 is in the story /script, which is very effective in contrast to the elegance of the Liberator's design, the appearance of the main characters, props and scenery.

Personally, I don't see the object of a reboot. The window of opportunity for a continuation passed some time ago, and the best way to expand the Blake's 7 brand is through exactly what they're doing anyway with Big Finish and the original cast.

Reversing the polarity of the neutron flow. I bet that means something. It sounds great.

Personally, I don't see the object of a reboot. The window of opportunity for a continuation passed some time ago, and the best way to expand the Blake's 7 brand is through exactly what they're doing anyway with Big Finish and the original cast.

such detail being critical to any kind of transmedia strategy for a property in this day and age.

I think that explains everything. These people are not interested in the applause of 300+ Horizon members or even the BF audience. They are trying to target a much bigger market. Even before the first script is written, they dream about all those bucks they can make with selling computer game spin-offs. That's why this design does not reflect the spirit of B7, but the look and feel of your average shoot-em-up game.

Excalibur in Crusade was much more reminiscent of the original Liberator design than this heap of junk (and among the crew members were a telepath, a thief, and an irritating talking box).

The grittiness of B7 was a new original concept at its time. (And, as Lurena pointed out, it was contrasted by the swan-like elegance of Liberator ... a very effective symbolism, but obviously too sophisticated for today's average TV producer.) Today, it's commonplace. This design is just a conglomerate of Alien/Firefly/BSG/Warhammer/etc. designs without any original idea. Craven mediocrity.

@deadkenny - Welcome to Horizon! I've made the link in your post clickable, although having looked at the artwork perhaps it would be kinder if I hadn't... What a hideous, nightmare travesty of a unique and beautiful ship.

Cheers, and yeah, just terrible design. While it's fine making improvements it's a bit of an iconic ship and you don't mess with them much. Even in Star Trek up to the reboot the Enterprise isn't too badly modified.

Reboots - well to pick up on a great idea and run with it for the 21st century I can still see working. A continuation is no go though. As said too much time has passed and fans of the original are a much smaller group than for a show like Doctor Who. I still think a BSG like reboot could work, but it needs the enthusiasm and money by studios to do it and that's the point where I just can't see it ever happening. BBC wouldn't have the stomach for it and no one else British could do it really. US studios will make something none of us want.

It's the same problem with Sapphire & Steel. That could easily continue, even with different actors as with the audio adventures, but again few modern audiences would have a clue what the original show was. Still, a continuation but starting off like it's something new. Old fans would realise it's picking off where it left, but new audiences wouldn't even have to realise it was an old show. Hmm, in fact the reboot of Doctor Who pretty much did that.

p.s. I was here on the old site for a while but only just got round to re-registering. I had a nice little avatar but can't find the file I used. I'll have to redo it some time.